Presettable counter having rotary resetting means

ABSTRACT

A rotary digital counter having a plurality of digit wheels adapted to assume a plurality of positions which represent respective preset counts, manually operable presetting pushbuttons for setting the digit wheels, a rotary resetting shaft, a locking arrangement adapted to assume a locking position in which a setting of the digit wheels by the presetting pushbutton is prevented; a latch normally maintains the locking arrangement in a locking position until the digit wheels are reset.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Reinhard lrion 2,137,013 11/1938 Bradley 235/132 Aldingen Kreis Tuttlingen; 2,563,668 8/1951 Abel 235/132 X Kurt Wilhelm Kratt, Aldingen Kreis 2,904,251 9/1959 Hazard et al 235/132 Tuttlingen; Hans Hermann Neher, Hausen 3,096,018 7/1963 Bliss et al.. 235/132 am Tann, all of, Germany 3,125,291 3/1964 Komatar... 235/ l 32 [21] Appl. No. 790,691 3,202,354 8/1965 Snyder 235/132 [22] Filed Jan.13,1969 3,244,366 4/1966 Krebsdzio 235/132 [45] Patented July 6,1971 3,447,744 6/1969 lrion et a1. 235/132 [73] Assignec J. Hengstler K. G. Zahlerfabrik 3,451,620 6/1969 Vogel et a1 235/132 Aldingen KR. Tuttlingen, Germany FOREGN PATENTS Pmmy $2 35, 1,207,119 12/1965 Germany 235/144 [31] P15 74 7383 1,208,922 1/1966 Germany 235/144 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerS. A. Wal s4 PRESETTABLE COUNTER HAVING ROTARY ArwrneyP0lachk and Saulsbury RESETTING MEANS scmmssnnwing ABSTRACT: A rotary digital counter having a plurality of U-S. R wheels ada ted to assume a plurality of positions ll'ltre resent res ective presetcounts manually operable 0f presetting pushbuttons for etting the wheels a rotary 1321 1 1 144 1 144 s, 144 SM, 144 SS resetting shaft, a locking arrangement adapted to assume a lockin osition in which a settin of the di it wheels b the [56] References and v presett in g pushbutton is prevented a latch no rmally main tains UNITED STATES PATENTS the locking arrangement in a locking position until the digit 1,826,520 10/1931 McGowan 235/1 17 X wheels are reset.

PATENTEUJUL sum 3,591,074

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- Kurf/(rafi 7 I Hans Neher A TTURNE Y5 PATENTEB JUL 6 I9" 3591-074 SHEET 5 UF 5 INVENfOks Rein/Yard I r1012 Kurf 1mm, 4 Hans Neher PRESETTABLE COUNTER HAVING ROTARY RESETTING MEANS This invention relates to means for locking the presetting device for presettable counters adapted to perform a rotational resetting movement.

Counting roller mechanisms are known, in which the presetting counter is preset after a hinged plate, which is normally locked by a cylinder lock, has been unlocked and opened so that the setting rollers are accessible for manual adjustment. A satisfactory presetting depends on a previous resetting of the digit wheels in the counter to a previously preset count. When the hinged plate is open, a sensing lever prevents the resetting discs from undesirably following the rotation of the digit wheels. If this rotational resetting is not prevented, a resetting to a presumably preset count after a counting operation is not possible and the presetting operation must be repeated.

This dependent of the correct counting and resetting function on the satisfactory and reliable manual control operation is improved by the present invention. The invention relates to a presetting device for presettable and rotationally resettable counters, which presetting device is locked and released by a bolt lock. The presetting device is characterized in that the presetting pushbuttons are released by an additional latch only after the resetting operation has been performed. Resetting must be performed before the pushbuttons are completely unlocked for selecting a new preset count. This arrangement ensures that the necessary resetting is performed before the selection of a new preset count.

An embodiment of the locking means for the presetting device according to the invention is functionally represented by way of example in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the lock;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the means for resetting the sensing lever,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views showing the additional latch in both end positions; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are a top plan view and a side elevation respectively showing diagrammatically the operation of a knob for actuating a detent lever when the digit wheels are to be reset.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown a manually operable lock having a bolt 1 and cylinder la. The lock must be operated to release the counter for the selection of a new preset count. The rotation of the cylinder la disengages bolt I from slider link 2 so that intermediate lever 3 is disengaged from blocking lever 4. The latter prevents operation of pawls 5 which are operated by keys 6. Even when the intermediate lever has been disengaged from the blocking lever 4, the latter cannot perform a pivotal movement to its release position because it is locked by an additional latch 7, which is shown in FIG. 3. For a release of the blocking lever 4 in the arrangement according to the invention the digit wheel shaft 8 must be rotated so that the cam wheel 9 imparts to cam follower lever 10 a pivotal clockwise movement against the action of spring ll. During this pivotal movement, lever 10 cooperates with pin 12 carried by the latch 7 and imparts a pivotal counterclockwise movement to the latter against the action of a spring 13 to release the blocking lever 4. The latter now swings clockwise under the action of tension spring 14 (FIG. 4) so that the pushbutton-operated pawls 5 (FIG. 1) can engage presetting rollers 15' (FIG. 6), associated with each of which is a digit wheel 15. The rotational resetting digit wheel 15 is performed during the rotation of the digit wheel shaft 8 and before each selection of a new preset count in the arrangement according to the invention.

The intermediate lever 3 is provided with a pin 16 (FIGS. 1 and 2) which engages in an indentation 17 in the end 17 of lever 17 when lever 3 is disengaged from lever 4. This prevents the tip or end of lever 17 from being engaged in notch l8 of digit wheel 15 if this digit wheel happens to Be in the zero in-- dicating position of the digit wheel. Without these locking means, the releasing device would be tripped and would then have to be reoperated by another resetting operation.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a detent lever 19, which prevents a free movement of the digit wheel 15 when reset to a position different from its preset position. This arrangement has proved desirable because the presettable counter is not automatically returned to zero position by pinion 20. The stepping pinion only drives the digit wheel during a subsequent counting operation. Similarly, if adjacent digit wheels 15 are not set to their reset position; there will be no direct resistance to the movement of the other digit wheels 15 so that they can move freely when they have reached the incorrect position. This would result in an inaccurate positioning of the digit wheels during the subsequent counting operation.

In the present arrangement, an axially movable knob 21 (FIG. 6) is actuated to uncouple the resetting shaft 22 by moving pin 23 out of groove 23 in knob 21 when the resetting shaft 22 is in its end position. By this axial movement A, the detent lever 19 is controlled by a mechanism comprising a plunger 24, a bellcrank lever 25 and a spring 26 in such a manner that the lever 19 performs a detent action on the notched disc 15a adjacent digit wheel 15 when the resetting operation is performed and this detent action is eliminated by the axial movement of the actuating knob 21 in the direction B when the resetting shaft 22 is coupled in its end position. This is apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing.

What we claim is:

l. A rotary, presettable resetting digital counter, comprising count-storing means adapted to assume a plurality of different positions which represent different preset counts, manually operable presetting means for setting said count-storing means, rotary resetting means operable to set said count-storing means to said different positions, manually operable locking means adapted to assume a locking position in which they prevent setting of said count-storing means by said presetting means, and a latch arranged normally to lock said locking means in said locking position and to disengage said locking means when said resetting means are in a position which corresponds to the position assumed by said count-storing means, said locking means being manually operable to enable operation of said count-storing means by said presetting means only when said latch is disengaged from said locking means. a

2. A counter as defined in claim 1, wherein said resetting means comprise a resetting shaft, a rotatable digit wheel shaft, clutch means coupling the resetting shaft to said digit wheel shaft, a cam wheel arranged to rotate with said digit wheel shaft, and a cam follower lever engaging said cam wheel and pivotally movable during rotation thereof to move said latch out of engagement with said locking means.

3. A counter as set forth in claim 2, which comprises spring means biasing said cam follower lever against said cam wheel and spring means biasing said latch against said locking means.

4. A counter as defined in claim 2, wherein said count-storing means comprises a digit wheel having a zero-position indicating groove, a pivotable sensing lever having a tip arranged to fall into said groove to prevent rotation of the digit wheel, said locking means comprising a manually operable lock, an intermediate lever, and a blocking lever, said intermediate lever being engageable by said lock to lock said blocking lever in said locking position, and a pin carried by said intermediate lever and engageable by said sensing lever to keep the latter out of said groove in the digit wheel.

5. A counter as defined in claim 4, further comprising an actuating knob which is normally engaged with said resetting shaft and which is axially movable to uncouple said resetting shaft from said digit wheel shaft, a detent lever arranged to prevent free movement of the digit wheel when it is uncoupled from the resetting shaft, and lever means operated by said knob and arranged to deactivate the detent lever to allow free movement 6f the digit wheel. 

1. A rotary, presettable resetting digital counter, comprising count-storing means adapted to assume a plurality of different positions which represent different preset counts, manually operable presetting means for setting said count-storing means, rotary resetting means operable to set said count-storing means to said different positions, manually operable locking means adapted to assume a locking position in which they prevent setting of said count-storing means by said presetting means, and a latch arranged normally to lock said locking means in said locking position and to disengage said locking means when said resetting means are in a position which corresponds to the position assumed by said count-storing means, said locking means being manually operable to enable operation of said count-storing means by said presetting means only when said latch is disengaged from said Locking means.
 2. A counter as defined in claim 1, wherein said resetting means comprise a resetting shaft, a rotatable digit wheel shaft, clutch means coupling the resetting shaft to said digit wheel shaft, a cam wheel arranged to rotate with said digit wheel shaft, and a cam follower lever engaging said cam wheel and pivotally movable during rotation thereof to move said latch out of engagement with said locking means.
 3. A counter as set forth in claim 2, which comprises spring means biasing said cam follower lever against said cam wheel and spring means biasing said latch against said locking means.
 4. A counter as defined in claim 2, wherein said count-storing means comprises a digit wheel having a zero-position indicating groove, a pivotable sensing lever having a tip arranged to fall into said groove to prevent rotation of the digit wheel, said locking means comprising a manually operable lock, an intermediate lever, and a blocking lever, said intermediate lever being engageable by said lock to lock said blocking lever in said locking position, and a pin carried by said intermediate lever and engageable by said sensing lever to keep the latter out of said groove in the digit wheel.
 5. A counter as defined in claim 4, further comprising an actuating knob which is normally engaged with said resetting shaft and which is axially movable to uncouple said resetting shaft from said digit wheel shaft, a detent lever arranged to prevent free movement of the digit wheel when it is uncoupled from the resetting shaft, and lever means operated by said knob and arranged to deactivate the detent lever to allow free movement of the digit wheel. 